Apr 22, 2015, 10:57 am
Last edit by: mia
Effective June 2017 the USA Business Platinum airfare Pay-with-Points refund was reduced to 35%. This brings the net value to $0.0153 per point, essentially the same as Chase Sapphire Reserve's Pay-with-Points redemption rate.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
USA Business Centurion cardholders will continue to receive a 50% refund. The Centurion version is also broader than the Platinum benefit:
Centurion: beginning October 6, 2016 you will get 50% Membership Rewards® points back when you use the Pay with Points feature for all or part of a flight on any airline. The maximum rebate per calendar year for Centurion members is (_______?)
Platinum: Business Platinum Card Members will receive 5 extra points for every 10 points they redeem for either a First or Business class flight on any airline, or for flights with their selected qualifying airline using Membership Rewards Pay with Points with American Express Travel (35% Airline Bonus). The maximum rebate per calendar year for Business Platinum Card Members is 1,000,000 points.
FAQ
Q1. How does the process work?
A1. Here is an example, buying a $1,000.00 ticket:
- $1,000 charged to American Express card [Day 1]
- 100,000 Membership Rewards points redeemed [Day 1]
- $1,000 credited to American Express card [Day 2]
- _35,000 Membership Rewards points returned [~a month later]
- Net: $1,000 ticket for 65,000 points = $0.0154/point
Q2. Must the Business Centurion or Platinum card be used to purchase the ticket?
A2. When the benefit was refreshed in October 2016 you could pay with any card linked to the same Membership Rewards account, but it appears this changed in April 2017.
Q3. Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?
A3. You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold.
Q4. What happens if I cancel the ticket?
A4. There are mixed reports, but in most examples the cost of the ticket is refunded (a second time) to the card account. In one example American Express refunded the remainder of the points instead. If you prefer the points refunded rather than a cash credit, phone into AMEX and they will restore the points and remove the credit.
Q5. Can this benefit be combined with the International Airline Program companion ticket?
A5. One poster was told no, but another was able to do so.
Pay-with-Points flights. BUSINESS Centurion 50% refund, Plat 35%, Gold 25% (2015-23)
Jun 29, 2017, 7:43 am
#661
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 503
The answer in the wiki about "pay with points" to the question "Will I earn Membership Rewards points on the purchase price?" is:
"You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold."
What does this mean exactly? Let's take the following example:
1. I buy a $750 ticket with points, charging the $750 to my personal Platinum charge card, which earns "5x" (4x bonus + 1 base)
2. They charge my MR account 75,000 points
3. They rebate the $750 to my account
Do I get 3000 MR points (4x $750) back in my MR account?
If not, what am I figuring incorrectly?
"You will not earn base points, but you may earn bonus points if you pay with a card that awards a bonus for airline ticket purchases, such as Business Platinum, Personal Platinum, Business Rewards Gold, Premier Rewards Gold."
What does this mean exactly? Let's take the following example:
1. I buy a $750 ticket with points, charging the $750 to my personal Platinum charge card, which earns "5x" (4x bonus + 1 base)
2. They charge my MR account 75,000 points
3. They rebate the $750 to my account
Do I get 3000 MR points (4x $750) back in my MR account?
If not, what am I figuring incorrectly?
Jun 29, 2017, 7:52 am
#662
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,956
Maybe. If you pay with Business Platinum you will not. If you pay with Personal Platinum you may, BUT if your 35%/50% points refund does not post automatically you may have a weaker case because you did not use the correct card.
There is substantial discussion of this topic in the thread. Scroll back ~45 days and read forward.
There is substantial discussion of this topic in the thread. Scroll back ~45 days and read forward.
Jun 29, 2017, 7:55 am
#663
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 503
Maybe. If you pay with Business Platinum you will not. If you pay with Personal Platinum you may, BUT if your 35%/50% points refund does not post automatically you may have a weaker case because you did not use the correct card.
There is substantial discussion of this topic in the thread. Scroll back ~45 days and read forward.
There is substantial discussion of this topic in the thread. Scroll back ~45 days and read forward.
Jun 29, 2017, 8:17 am
#664
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
One more question-- I tried making a domestic first class booking LAX-HNL for my dad and I never saw any indication for the 50% (or 35%) rebate. I thought I remember seeing the rebate mentioned somewhere in the flight selection or checkout screens before, but I don't see it now. Am I just remembering wrong?
Also, I know people have chosen to "pay" with the personal Plat card to earn 5X MR, and they still got the rebate. I read this before the change to 35%. Does this still work?
Also, I know people have chosen to "pay" with the personal Plat card to earn 5X MR, and they still got the rebate. I read this before the change to 35%. Does this still work?
They made it more difficult to use this benefit.
Jun 29, 2017, 8:52 am
#665
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 503
You just need to hang up and call again, or escalate to a manager. They are not authorized to mark-up airline fares - if you can price something on ITA or Google (don't rely on an airline website that might show a special webfare), that is the fare that every travel agent should be able to sell.
While arguing endlessly yesterday about their unwillingness to find me a refundable fare, I had one agent tell me to book on the airline website and then call back to have the points used for the purchase, but it would be $1=1.67 MR instead of $1=1 MR. Needless to say, I continued my own research, found what I wanted and was able to price it online. If my idea outlined in my last post above actually works, then I will be able to stick my foot where it belongs in American Express
I am getting tired of their nonsense.
While arguing endlessly yesterday about their unwillingness to find me a refundable fare, I had one agent tell me to book on the airline website and then call back to have the points used for the purchase, but it would be $1=1.67 MR instead of $1=1 MR. Needless to say, I continued my own research, found what I wanted and was able to price it online. If my idea outlined in my last post above actually works, then I will be able to stick my foot where it belongs in American Express
I am getting tired of their nonsense.
Jun 29, 2017, 9:10 am
#666
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I want to book a oneway flight from HNL to KOA on HA in first class. The HA website shows this is $164 on my date, but when the Amextravel website for Pay with Points has it at $260/26K MR. Is this something I can call AMEX about and have change it to 16.4K on their end? Is it worth trying Frequentmiler's "one time exception"
Jun 29, 2017, 10:08 am
#667
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,956
Jun 29, 2017, 10:58 am
#669
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TPA/DFW/K15
Programs: AA EXP, Mar AMB, HH LT DIA
Posts: 1,652
Jun 29, 2017, 11:02 am
#670
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,956
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ay-points.html
Jun 29, 2017, 12:55 pm
#671
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 779
My Amex Business Plat was opened in 12/2016. Am I still elligible for the 50% point refund until my renewal or only 35% after 06/2017? Thanks.
Edit: It seems that I have until renewal to redeem for 50% refund.
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/04/amex-reduced-airfare-rebate/
Edit: It seems that I have until renewal to redeem for 50% refund.
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/04/amex-reduced-airfare-rebate/
Last edited by asdfghjk; Jun 29, 2017 at 1:14 pm
Jul 2, 2017, 7:04 am
#672
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,956
Method: Distance - special fare
EQM: 3002
EQD: 376
Jul 2, 2017, 11:17 pm
#673
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 209
Has anyone after the devaluation used their personal platinum to pay and still receive the rebate?
I am asking because I do not like the charges to show up on my business platinum since I strictly use it for business, and the way Amex does this benefit, the ticket information along with routing etc. shows up on the statement of the business platinum card if it is used to pay which I don't want to happen.
I am asking because I do not like the charges to show up on my business platinum since I strictly use it for business, and the way Amex does this benefit, the ticket information along with routing etc. shows up on the statement of the business platinum card if it is used to pay which I don't want to happen.
Jul 3, 2017, 9:42 am
#674
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 153
Called about my Amex business platinum card which upgraded November last year and was billed $450 annual fee on June 16.
Was told that the 50% points rebate benefit will continue until next anniversary on June 2018, He told me that there is a note on the account and I will for sure get the 50% back until June 2018. I guess if you upgraded the 50% benefit will continue a year from annual fee anniversary and not from the upgrade date and also even though the actual charge was on June since the beginning of that statment was on May i still eligible for another year.
Was told that the 50% points rebate benefit will continue until next anniversary on June 2018, He told me that there is a note on the account and I will for sure get the 50% back until June 2018. I guess if you upgraded the 50% benefit will continue a year from annual fee anniversary and not from the upgrade date and also even though the actual charge was on June since the beginning of that statment was on May i still eligible for another year.
Jul 3, 2017, 10:20 am
#675
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 613
Has anyone after the devaluation used their personal platinum to pay and still receive the rebate?
I am asking because I do not like the charges to show up on my business platinum since I strictly use it for business, and the way Amex does this benefit, the ticket information along with routing etc. shows up on the statement of the business platinum card if it is used to pay which I don't want to happen.
I am asking because I do not like the charges to show up on my business platinum since I strictly use it for business, and the way Amex does this benefit, the ticket information along with routing etc. shows up on the statement of the business platinum card if it is used to pay which I don't want to happen.